Mets Beat Phillies 4-1 in First Game After All-Star Break

The New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 on Thursday night in the first major league game after the All-Star break. Francisco Alvarez hit two home runs and Brett Baty added one for the Mets. The game started at 7:10 ET under hazy skies in Philadelphia caused by smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota.

Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper said during the ESPN telecast that the teams do not usually move games and that playing in the hazy weather was not the greatest idea. Mets interim manager Andy Green said after the game that the conditions did not really affect play. He added that visibility got tougher but players managed to see baseballs.

Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said tracking fly balls became an issue later in the game due to foggy conditions. Juan Soto was removed from the game in the eighth inning due to left calf soreness. Green said Soto is expected to be back in the lineup this weekend.

Soto missed about 2½ weeks in April with a right calf strain. It was the second time wildfire smoke affected a game in Philadelphia. A game between Detroit and Philadelphia was postponed in June 2023 due to poor air quality from Canadian wildfires.